Chapter 24

“Tch. No one asked for your help Sable...”

“Rest assured I would have made the request were comms functioning normally.”

Kircher’s unsolicited response over the headset had Rohner frowning from his place on the front deck, the place where he’d been set to receive the approach.

“Still have your wits about you bridge dweller? Because all I’m seeing is a tactical blunder disguised as a strategic counter play. Or would you rather the Command Crusader throw itself into harm’s way over trivial visits?”

“Those numbers are anything but trivial, and their intervention proved successful in cutting off the approach before it could reach full strength. We should be—”

“What they should have done, is mind their own damn business. Rather we could’ve reorganized into a stack formation per the offset playbook, which would have enabled us to increase our median speed. Then whoever did manage to board would have found themselves trapped once we exited the highway. Leaving it a simple matter of sweeping the Crusader ahead of the next castle.”

Kircher forced himself to internalize his frustrations with the veteran officer. Somehow managing to convey his next words with a level tone.

“I sincerely hope you plan to maintain this level of enthusiasm and collaborative spirit once comms are restored.”

“Then let’s see about restoring them shall we...”

Soon thereafter Crusader C274 was weaving its way to the rear of the convoy with Rohner taking up a position of authority on the back deck. His orders, to inflict superficial damage to the strong side of C471. Needless to say the officers onboard, including those who precipitated his rise to security representative, were hesitant to follow the directive.

A waste of ammo for one thing. But to fire upon an ally while being subjected to an active boarding could lead to some dangerous misunderstandings. Whether those onboard mistook them for members of Cloud Nine or processed the act as a betrayal, return fire was on the table.

Sensing the hesitation from those around him Rohner loaded a fresh magazine and prepared to fire when he felt a pair of eyes settle on his back. Assuming the spectator was part of C362’s deck rotation he had every intention of ignoring them, or at least that was the plan until a near imperceivable level of hostility flashed in the individual’s intent. Turning in a controlled manner, the man sought the source of the unwelcome sensation. And you could imagine his surprise at being greeted by the probing gaze of a young female deck officer with undercut blonde hair.

Careful to guard his own emotions, Rohner noted how the girl’s features darkened briefly when their eyes met. And yet a moment later that same hostility had all but vanished from her person. Leaving behind a disposition indicative of a soldier. One brought up by a teacher stressing diligence and freedom in the same breath. Then the realization struck him.

Ah, this brat’s like me...

As fortuitous an encounter this was, Rohner still had more important things to contend with. Namely his plan to make use of the Eidol. So he pushed any suspicions regarding the girl’s identity to the back of his mind and painted the wall of C471 with a level of indifference you’d expect to find at a station’s firing range.

“I’d like to see any of you challenge that grouping! Now hurry it up! Or are you worried you’ll miss?!”

It took a few seconds, but the other security officers did eventually follow suit after exchanging glances and shrugs. Taking a page from their rep’s book, they too treated the act as an exercise in target practice.

Hayes in particular took extra care in the placement of his grouping, targeting a space near Rohner’s own. Perhaps in an attempt to upstage the man who’d appropriated his post. And while no definitive winner could be declared without taking measurements, both clusters of indents were impressive in there own right.

What the hell is that scruffy old man trying to accomplish?

Kircher couldn’t help but question the antics on display as he watched them unfold from the bridge entry way. But as much as he wanted to inquire about the man’s intentions over the headset, the likelihood of it having something to do with the Eidol gave him pause.

Given how out of the loop the rest of the convoy was on the subject, it wasn’t hard to understand why. No real sense in needlessly fostering panic among the roster’s more superstitiously inclined. Granted what was about to occur would require some form of explanation upon arrival in Riga. Even if it was omitted from most the reports altogether.

Because what could best be described as a series of fasciculations rippled throughout the shadow encompassing the convoy, starting from the Crusader that had just been scuffed by friendly fire. All the while an otherworldly sequence of sounds began flooding the frequencies of both comms channels.

What happened next proved equally staggering as out of nowhere a powerful gust of hot air exploded from the ground up, violent enough to create an audible shockwave as the rising flow of gas detoured through each Crusader’s corridors. A discomforting silence followed. As if the sudden barrage of curious stimuli temporarily negated the voices of the crews and drums alike.

“What the holy hell just happened?!”

Jericka’s voice.

“This is Kircher, are you receiving?!”

“Loud and clear Officer Swarek. Seems the interference has run its course.”

Miss Endellion!

“As I’m sure everyone is aware, we currently have an active boarding attempt on our hands. Which is why I’d ask that C274 resume its position at the front of the formation, yielding C362 the space necessary to slide over for support. And Officer Rohner?”

Silence as the man didn’t feel a need to confirm his presence in the call.

“The commander and I will be expecting a full explanation of your actions after we reach Riga. But until then I’d like to request your continued cooperation, as well as thank you for the contributions you’ve already made.”

“Our position at the front, should I take this to mean you’re letting C274 set the pace until we reach the next castle?”

“That’s correct. Though I’d ask that you hold off on any substantial adjustments until we’ve dealt with the boarding.”

“Pardon my impertinence, but are you taking liberties with these orders or do they belong to the Convoy Commander?”

Oi oi, now isn’t the time for that!

“Commander Dandridge is otherwise occupied subjugating enemy forces, in his absence I will see to directing the convoy.”

“In that case I’d appreciate it if you kept us posted on his status going forward.”

The implications behind this petition weren’t hard to figure out. Because in the event the CC did become indisposed, command would officially fall to Sumiye herself as the acting Head Communications Officer. Should she suffer a similar fate or be deemed unfit for command, the job would then fall to the most qualified security representative. A bylaw that intentionally made use of indeterminate phrasing to account for a given crew roster’s attitude relative to the convoy in question. In other words, crew chemistry and federation politics were very much at play here.

This made it possible for personnel with less years in the field to assume command if it was believed they were the right person for the job. Presumably having set themselves apart in the lead up to the command opening. Now whether Rohner would be the favorite to assume said role was another story. Because even though he had set himself apart through his knowledge of the Eidol, that achievement had yet to be made privy to the majority of the roster. Nor would it if the parties involved had anything to say about it.

“But of course.”

With that settled both Crusaders promptly began repositioning in accordance with the Head CO’s orders. And seeing that the task of relieving the command Crusader had fallen to C362, Rohner saw no further need to remain on deck and headed for the ladderway. Though he did reserve a parting glance for the blonde deck officer as her Crusader moved behind their own. Only to find that she had already shifted her attention towards the relief of C471. Yet more proof they were of a similar disposition. And all the confirmation he needed to attach a name.

“So she’s the one taken in by a Daughter of Fall. Something Ayfer if I’m not mistaken...”

He attempted to recall the hearsay surrounding the girl and her teacher as he approached the ladderway, or at least tried to before being impeded by their intrusive CO hovering over it with a look of disapproval. To the extent one could believe that the man’s spirit had been given new life alongside the restored comms.

“What did you do? And why the delay in carrying it out?”

Alas Rohner no longer felt obligated to humor the man. Preferring to be harassed over the headset if he had no choice. His escape down the ladderway was marred however by the appearance of an unfamiliar attendance at their feet. Another young girl by the looks of it, this one with remarkably green eyes and long brunette tresses.

Safe to say if it wasn’t for the federation uniform, both men might have taken her for an agent of Cloud Nine and responded with deadly force. And it was as they both tried to place the girl that she reached the top rung of the ladder and spoke up.

“Greetings comrades. And if it’s not too much trouble, I’d also like to inquire about the sequence of events that just transpired.”

*

The prospect of having one’s life flash before their eyes was something Esma had first encountered in her youth, when her older brother had fallen headfirst out of the antiquated oak adorning the yard of their guest house. She’d watched the accident occur from the veranda of the house and sat stunned as he miraculously managed to right himself mid-air, offering up his right shoulder in place of his neck.

It was in the aftermath of the fall, during one of her visits to his room turned hospital ward, that he’d conveyed to her the rapid recollection of his life in the moments following his slide from the tree branch. To which she’d responded, “You’re twelve, what’s there to recollect. Your first erection?”

As implied she hadn’t taken his claim very seriously. And yes, at the ripe age of ten Esma was both familiar with and willing to wield such words as “erection” for the sake of earning a laugh from her brother. Mostly out of sympathy for his condition. Although disgruntling her parents through accounts of her behavior from the staff also brought her great pleasure.

The same couldn’t be said about her own brush with the phenomenon, however. The assertions directed at her brother all those years ago as he fidgeted with the sling on his arm becoming more lamentable by the second. But while his downfall, never had there been such an apt term, had come at the hands or in this case branches of a tree, her perch had been that of a Crusader. As such Esma would probably follow Jericka’s example of staying cooped up in the bridge for the foreseeable future as a means of coping with her own newfound trauma. A process that had started with berating her actions prior to the fall.

Much like Lux, who had been on the opposite end of the back deck from her, Esma had been in the middle of scrutinizing the behavior of C471’s deck officers. And it was as she strained to make out what they were firing upon that a sequence of haunting sounds filled the headset she still had on her person. At the same time she witnessed what could best be described as a series of ripples approaching C362, with the unexplained shadow serving as the conduit.

Enamored by the bizarre occurrence, Esma unconsciously leaned further over the railing to get a closer look. Leaving her vulnerable to the strong burst of hot air that greeted her the moment she did so. Unable to pull back in time to avoid the debris laden gust, hot air flowed into the front of her open uniform, momentarily separating her from the deck. In a last-ditch effort to avoid a tumble from the Crusader the brunette flailed both arms in search of a purchase, but failed to relocate the railing in time to reverse her course.

She couldn’t say for certain whether a scream had escaped at the time, but her sudden change in perspective from the ground to the sky did offer the briefest of glimpses at the railing that had betrayed her only seconds before. And Esma could feel her heart sink as neither Lux or Youn were there to witness her costly mistake.

In the off chance I survive both the fall and avoid being run over, no one will even know where I am or what became of me. And once they do put it together, returning to recover me is out of the question for a Galen Run. I’ll be left to die of exposure. That is unless a member of Cloud Nine takes pity on me or maybe decides to put me out of my misery.

With so many thoughts racing through her head it’s a small wonder Esma still had time to process the images of her past that were flitting across her vision one after another. Some lingering longer than others. As if the contents of those painful memories demanded some form of reparations from her in these final moments.

As expected those images only abated when her back finally met the ground, except it wasn’t the hard rocky surface she anticipated but a cool textured one. At the same time a rather reserved metallic gong resonated as the air was forced out of her lungs, causing her to sputter and heave in a comparatively unreserved manner. The sound of something else landing just above her head and clattering to a rest adding to the deluge on her senses.

It wasn’t until Esma managed to regain a fraction of her wind that she noticed the subtle vibrations and gentle hum around her. Confusion quickly gave way to understanding as she blindly felt around for the object that had followed her down, her rifle. Retrieving it she counted herself lucky it hadn’t struck her on the way down.

I’m on a platform...but which one?

Her question was answered upon sitting up with a groan and meeting the gaze of a certain broad-shouldered engineer standing across the way on a platform of his own. Composed as ever she might add. Something that ticked the rookie off in more ways than one.

“How you doing over there buddy?”

And as if his inquiry had reminded her body to resume its normal functions, a dull ache began to spread across her mid and upper back. Not far behind but to a lesser extent, her neck followed. As she cradled the latter her emerald eyes took on a scathing glare. Unwarranted Esma knew, but expected given how inundated she was at current. Fortunately her tone remained cordial.

“I’ve been better Cade.”

“Gust just now getcha?”

Esma cautiously returned to her feet and dusted herself off.

“Any idea what it was?”

The man shrugged as he approached the railing.

“Think you’ve got it in you to jump back over?”

Esma shrunk away from the suggestion, placing a firm two hand grip on the tether behind her.

“Pardon the vulgarity, but abso-fucking-lutely not.”

“Yeah...guess I was thinking you might have some leftover adrenaline we could make use of.”

“Believe me there’s plenty. So much that I fear another dose will send me into cardiac arrest.”

It was on the tail end of this exchange that a familiar blonde head popped over the above railing.

“Cade! You seen Esma? I swear I only took my eyes off her for like a second to watch that trippy shadow go away.”

The engineer looked up at the sharpshooter while gesturing at the person of interest across from him. Lux blinked a couple times from her upright firing position.

“Hey! Didn’t know you had it in you!”

Esma couldn’t help but lose her patience again, both fists balling at her sides as she yelled up at her “instructor.”

“I guarantee whatever it is you think you're referring to is benign to the point of atrophy!”

Her irritation was met with a dismissive finger.

“Hold that thought Es, duty calls!”

On cue the platform beneath the misplaced security officer lurched forward as the Crusader her companions were on moved laterally across the space they’d vacated. Leaving her alone with her thoughts and a touch of regret at refusing Cade’s presumed offer to help her back over.

Suddenly feeling very exposed out on the platform by herself, Esma quickly retreated into the belly of the unfamiliar Crusader. Not that the layout and appearance of C274 had any notable differences from the previous accommodations. But after spending the better part of an afternoon acquainting herself with C362’s many charms, namely its various dents and dings, it shouldn’t surprise her how foreign the change in scenery felt.

It was at the junction of the corridor that Esma came to a tentative stop, unsure what to do with herself as she hadn’t run into anyone yet. Sounds of busy work coming from the other side of the engine room door notwithstanding. She did know one thing however, that she’d rather take the proactive approach of making her presence onboard known rather than wait around anxiously to be discovered. Recalling the number of folks who’d been on the back deck, Esma decisively headed straight for the ladderway. At the base of which she could hear two voices coming from the top.

“Well, I’d better introduce myself...”

*

“The Eidol ditched, let’s get word to Hite.”

The pair of Hussards who’d been following since even before Dominique’s approach began its assault had watched as the entity condensed its size and fled the immediate area for reasons unknown.

“Don’t you think we should wait until the results of Dominique’s visit are more apparent?”

“Think moron, if the Eidol’s gone then comms are back up. And if comms are back up they’ll be able to coordinate their efforts and repel the attempt. Besides, they’re taking too long. Highway ends up ahead.”

The disheveled man began to pull away without another word, but his colleague remained persistent in his insistence they stay longer. Pulling up alongside him to continue making his case.

“I am thinking, the situations changed. That’s the command Crusader their raiding. Even if they fall short of acquiring the cargo, there’s a real chance they target the CC to make amends.”

“Weren’t you present for the briefing? That CC’s a Sable who reached the rank of lieutenant in Forst Cavea itself. He’s in his element right now.”

And they had very little intel on his replacement in the off chance he did fall. That and killing the commander could just as easily revitalize a convoy as dishearten it.

“It’ll be enough knowing the visit weakened their overall fighting potential.”

To think the day would come when a feeder of Baugh’s would be satisfied with a mere reduction of the enemy’s resources. Let alone ignore the opportunities afforded by a comrade’s captivity. It would seem a change was necessary after all.

“Well...can’t say I didn’t try.”

Confused by his words the senior Hussard turned to regard his companion, only to be greeted by the end of a sawed-off double barrel. One crack later and the man’s body crumpled from his saddle and fell to the wayside. His bike continuing a ways before skidding to a violent stop.

Rather than vacate the area the remaining Hussard logged the location of the still functional bike and saw to moving its rider’s body to somewhere less conspicuous. A hassle to be sure but a necessary one as it would become obvious upon further inspection that a shotgun had killed him in place of a deck officer’s rifle. Should this be discovered by another party member it would give away the game prematurely. Hindering Reed’s chances of establishing himself as the de facto leader of Cloud Nine.

The objective after all was to make the transition appear a natural one. And obscuring the lines of communication between Hite and the bulk of those loyal to him was a crucial first step. It was also in their best interest to keep those posted in the castles somewhat ignorant to the outcomes of the visits. More so if Hite’s plans were coming to fruition. Such was the toady’s thoughts as he dragged his one-time comrade behind a shallow outcropping.

And with the body now tucked safely away, he could turn back around and get a clearer idea of the second visits progress. With any luck Dominique would suffer a fate similar to Matus, another loose end that would need to be put down when an opportunity presented itself. But unbeknownst to the Hussard, things would not be progressing as expected at the gatehouse. Not before or after the parade’s arrival.